


First Contact

by TooLateToFall



Series: Space Parents [4]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, F/M, First Contact War, No Spoilers, Ryder parents - Freeform, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 16:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11361375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooLateToFall/pseuds/TooLateToFall
Summary: Ellen worries about Alec with the outbreak of the first contact war.Set 2157, spoiler-free.





	First Contact

_I just saw the news. Is Alec okay?_  

This is the text that Ellen Ryder gets as she’s preparing for bed, the text that sends her into a panic. 

Her first thought is  _what?_ , her second is  _oh fuck._

There’s a scramble as she tries to find the remote, then hit the power button, then find the news channel. The fact that her hands are shaking makes this take minutes instead of seconds. She can hear her heart in her ears, beating a million miles a minute. 

When she finally finds the channel, her stomach sinks.  _Breaking News_ , the banner beneath the reporter proclaims,  _First Contact: Shanxi Seized By Aliens_. 

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. 

Alec is on Shanxi. 

On the screen, the reporter is still talking, images of tall, spiked creatures and whole city blocks on fire flashing beside them, but Ellen can’t hear a word over the rush of blood in her ears. 

Her omnitool beeps; another message, this one from her brother.  _Is Alec still on Shanxi?_

And another from a coworker.  _Is everything ok? Your husband’s on Shanxi, right?_

And another.  _Have you heard from Alec?_

Message after message, and she can barely read them anymore, can barely concentrate. She just talked to Alec this morning,  _just this morning_ , he  _has_ to be okay, he just has to be. 

She tries to call him on the com, but of course there’s no answer. 

Through shaking fingers, Ellen types a few messages of her own. 

_Please tell me you’re somewhere safe._

No answer. 

_Just send me a sign. Some static. A thumbs up.  A blank message. Anything._

Nothing.

_I swear, if you get killed, I will kick your ass._

Still no reply. 

_Please. Please be okay._

At three AM, she’s struggling to find sleep, staring at the ceiling when she gets a message. It’s five letters, but it’s all she needs. 

_I’m OK.-A_

It helps. For now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Oh gosh, more space parents. I hope you enjoyed. :3 If you didn't, or if you have constructive crit or general feedback, please comment! I'm trying to improve my writing this summer and every little bit helps.


End file.
